Sam the Autistic Dancing Starbucks Barista Shares His Inspirational Story With Ellen DeGeneres
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Starbucks employee Sam the dancing barista has a story that is extra inspirational and he got the opportunity to share it with Ellen DeGeneres.
A couple months ago Eric Calderon went viral as he often danced while on the job at a local Starbucks. Well, Calderon isn't the only dancing Barista.
Sometimes all you need is a little movement to put you in a better mood and Sam does that for every customer that comes in to Starbucks.
His video, like Calderon's has gone viral but there is more to Sam than can be shown in the viral video.
Sam was told that he would never be employable but he was given a chance by a manager named Chris and it turned out to be an amazing story.
(Video Below)
DeGeneres welcomed both Chris and Sam to the show and Sam told DeGeneres that he is a huge fan of her. She returned the favor by telling him how much of a fan she was of him before asking how the two met.
Chris told DeGeneres that he and Sam met at a camp called ISAND (Integrated Services for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders). He said that Sam really stood out to him when he met him because he told him one of his dreams was to be a barista.
So, Chris wanted to make that dream come true for Sam.
Sam thought he was going to have a formal interview but once he arrived, Chris told him that he had already gotten the job. He says from that moment on, his life changed. Sam says he dances to concentrate because it helps him concentrate a lot better.
Chris says through Sam's movement, he is able to focus more on the job, the routines and overall became more comfortable. Sam said that Chris is an amazing boss and really good friend and he wouldn't give him up for anything.
Sam is 17-years-old and Chris has seen a major improvement in Sam from being shy to outgoing and great at customer service.
DeGeneres says she hopes that more people see this and learn from it. She says that Sam is an inspiration and wanted to make sure he got as many tips as possible by giving him a custom Ellen Tip Jar. That's not all, DeGeneres heard that Sam likes to travel and that he has always wanted to go to Japan. DeGeneres made the dream come true for Sam who was overcome with emotion.
She also gave Chris a special surprise. Toronto Raptors players DeMar Derozan, Masai Ujiri and Kyle Lowry recorded a special message for Chris.
They wanted to show their appreciation for Chris by inviting him to a practice to meet all the players and they also invited him to a game.
It's stories like this that inspire you to do as much good as possible, not for the monetary rewards, but for the life changing impact you can have on someone.
You can check out Sam and Chris' interview on the Ellen DeGeneres show below.